by T. S. Ryder
"Science Alpha Shay." The speaker, Niqæsh, a dragoness with burnished bronze scales, narrowed her eyes on him. "We have been informed that you have a potential cure for this disease that is ravaging our people, and yet you refuse to take the steps necessary to develop that cure."
"I am unaware of what you mean," Shay replied, his fires beginning to smolder.
He had a good guess what Niqæsh was talking about, but there could be no way that the Science Board would expect him to put his precious child and Gemma in danger by extracting DNA at this precarious early stage, could there? It was unethical!
The dragoness' lips thinned. "You know exactly what I am referring to. Your second, Wynon, has informed us that she suggested extracting DNA from the fetus inside the human you brought back, and not only did you dismiss her suggestion without thought, but also threatened her. Such a display of emotion is inexcusable for a dragon in your position."
"The fetus is my child," Shay said, his hands clenching. His fire burned hot in his belly and the wings of his beast pressed against the skin of his back. He struggled to keep his beast in. Now was not a time to allow it free reign. "The human's name is Gemma."
"Alpha—"
"Are you suggesting that I risk killing possibly the only child I will ever have? My findings on Earth indicate that a synthesis of human DNA will be enough to vaccinate those who have not been infected yet, to ensure they don't contract the disease. With a little more work, perhaps an extraction of DNA from my child after it is born and no risk will come to it, the infertility that plagues us might even be reversed."
The dragoness leaned forward. "The DNA from a forming fetus will be much more potent. You know that."
"I do. But what about our most holy ethics? It is sacrilege against science itself to experiment upon those that cannot give reasonable understanding and consent."
"We are running out of time!" Niqæsh leaped to her feet, eyes firing, hands clenched. Smoke curled out of her mouth. And they called him emotional. "What use are ethics when our people are going to their graves childless?"
Shay winced and took a deep breath. He could not allow them to experiment on Gemma or the baby. He had promised her that she would be safe. "If children are your main concern, perhaps a breeding program—"
"Wynon has requested that the pregnant human is given to her custody. We have agreed that it is the best for our people. Either you will comply, or your position will be stripped from you."
Shay snarled, a flicker of flame escaping his mouth. Never! He would never hand over his child or Gemma to be experimented on!
"Our people come first, Alpha." Niqæsh sat again, her eyes narrowed. "You are in a position no other dragon has been in. Your research is impressive. Maybe even enough to be assigned to the Board at your young age. Don't let your feelings get in your way."
Shay's eyes narrowed.
"You are dismissed."
The dragon bowed stiffly, wishing he could tear the dragoness apart instead. Choose between his future, his ship, and Gemma? Unlikely. He would take Gemma away from this planet again, he would keep her safe and he would continue his research. He'd have a cure for this disease before the baby was born.
Then Niqæsh and the Science Board would be eating their words.
Chapter Five
Gemma didn't have the chance to fully explore Shay's lush apartment before he came striding through the door, slamming it behind him. She jumped, her heart jumping to her throat as flames flickered out of Shay's mouth.
His blood-red eyes were dark, emphasizing his alien appearance. For a moment, Gemma forgot herself and stumbled back as he came towards her.
"We need to leave," he growled, his voice several octaves deeper and so growly that she could hardly understand him. "The Board–bunch of idiots!"
He wasn't angry at her. Of course he wasn't. She shook her head–even when he was angry he would never hurt her. Her heart rate returned to normal. "What happened?"
He glanced at her and the flames died. A pained smile crossed his face and he ran a hand through his hair. "I'll tell you later. Right now we need to get to the ship."
Her heart flip-flopped. "Are you taking me back to Earth?"
"I'm not sure yet. But we need to leave now."
Gemma nodded. She didn't have anything to bring with her, so didn't protest when Shay wrapped an arm around her waist and ushered her out. He walked swiftly, almost too swiftly for her to keep up.
When they had first landed on the planet, Shay had let her stop whenever she wanted to look in awe at her surroundings. The buildings were huge, all glistening with stained glass, made with angles and shapes that looked like a masterpiece no matter which way you looked at them. This time, she hardly had any time to acknowledge the beautiful works around her.
They were soon back on the ship. Shay took her to the room she had traveled in and brought her close to his body, wrapping his arms around her. He crushed his mouth against hers and, as always, Gemma felt heat swirl through her body. Her eyes slid shut and she parted her lips, inviting him in. He was so intoxicating that she could forget everything else.
An alien boyfriend isn't so bad, she mused, but then he ripped himself from her arms.
"I will be back shortly. We have to get away."
Gemma watched him go, anxiety starting to swirl in her again. She swallowed hard. He would tell her everything she needed to know soon, wouldn't he? And maybe they were going back to Earth. She would like that… She hadn't even had her first doctor's appointment for her pregnancy yet. She was pretty sure she was three months along, but it would be nice to know for certain.
She sighed and turned around–to find herself staring at somebody laying on her bed. But not just anybody. Her eyes widened and she stepped back. It was her laying on the bed, her hands behind her head, her eyes closed, breathing deeply like she always did when she wanted to sleep but couldn't.
"What—" Gemma gasped, her heart jumping into her throat.
A hard, scaly hand covered her mouth and there was a prick in the back of her neck. Instantly, everything started spinning. Strong arms caught her, lifted her.
"The Alpha is predictable," a feminine voice hissed. "Bring her along. We only have a minute to get off this ship before he tesseracts."
Tesseracts? Gemma tried to open her mouth, tried to scream, but darkness was consuming her and she couldn't move. Shay. When would he realize she was gone? Shay!
***
For several hours after leaving Bronæl, several warships shadowed them, but Shay's research ship was designed to outmaneuver any possible enemies they came across while doing research and the warships could not catch up with them. When they dropped from the scanners altogether, he let out a sigh of relief, but monitored the situation closely for several more hours, just to be on the safe side. At last, he was certain that they had gotten away cleanly.
The crew must have wondered what was going on, but it was a credit to their loyalty that they didn't question him. He had picked each member himself, from the pilot to the janitors, and knew they were on his side.
I'll explain everything to them when I've taken care of Gemma, he thought, heading off the bridge to see her.
To his horror, nerves fluttered in his stomach. He really shouldn't be nervous… But he had to tell her that they couldn't return to Earth. It was the first place the Science Board would look for them.
She knew he loved her. She knew he would not purposefully put her in danger. He hoped she would forgive him for this.
She was on her bed, sleeping, when he entered her room. A fond smile spread over Shay's face as he crept over to her. Her beautiful voluptuous body was everything he had dreamed about in a mate–he couldn't believe there were males on Earth who would have preferred she flatten her curves!
A strand of hair had fallen over her eyes. When Shay reached to brush it away, his hands went right through her.
The dragon's heart stopped. His eyes widened as the holograph flickered. No. he lo
oked around wildly–everything was exactly as he had left it. There was no evidence that Gemma had even been there.
No, no, no, no!
He turned on his heel, legs pumping as he raced back towards the command deck. So that's why the warships had never opened fire. They weren't being respectful of his position, they were a distraction so he wouldn't realize that he didn't have Gemma with him.
"Turn the ship back to Bronæl," he ordered, striding onto the command deck. The crew members that were dotted around at their stations all looked up at him in surprise. He ignored their looks, going to his command chair. "Do as I say."
The pilot worked the control panel, changing their direction. Shay swallowed hard. Wynon must have acted with permission of the Science Board to sneak aboard his ship. He had been too predictable. They would be expecting him to return now. Blunt force wouldn't work, he needed to be stronger than that.
"Alpha, are you alright?" the pilot asked, glancing at him.
"No," Shay growled back. He stood again, unable to bear sitting still. He glanced over the crew. They were friends, teammates. Would they understand what he was doing, or would they accept the Science Board's decision? "You know that I brought the human to the home world. You know she carries my child."
"Of course." The pilot made some adjustments to their course, then swiveled her chair to look at him with a frown on her face. "I thought we were taking her back to Earth."
Keeping it brief as possible, Shay told his command crew what Wynon wanted with Gemma. Cries of shock and horror answered him, and when he said that the Science Board had sanctioned experiments on the unborn child, they went silent. He sat again, flames coiling in his belly.
"That is blasphemy against ethics," the pilot eventually said. Smoke curled from her nose and mouth. "We are with you, Alpha."
Shay nodded his head in thanks. He closed his eyes and thought of Gemma, of her sweet smile and lovely eyes. He prayed to the atoms of the universe that he wasn't too late.
Chapter Six
Gemma struggled against the restraints holding her in place. They wouldn't give. Her heart pounded and her throat was dry. When would Shay realize that she had been taken? When would he rescue her? He was a Science Alpha, the dragoness who had taken her had no right to do this!
The door opened and Gemma forced herself to stay still, not wanting to let the dragoness see her fear. She might be helpless in this situation, but that didn't mean she was going to give her captor the satisfaction of seeing just how terrified she was.
The female was smaller than the other Stlozyn Gemma had seen, but she had no clue if that meant the alien was younger than the others or not. All she really knew was that those red eyes that were so warm and like two rubies on Shay looked like they were literally made from blood on this dragoness.
"What do you want from me?" Gemma demanded, clenching her hands. It helped her project anger rather than fear. "I don't know anything about Shay's research, so if you're trying to steal it—"
"His research is public record, as is all our science. It's blasphemy to hide knowledge from others," the dragoness replied. She tilted her head, dark hair sweeping her shoulders. "You carry a child that should not be possible. That child is the key to curing my people."
Gemma remembered that Shay had said something about that and shivered. “What are you going to do to me?"
"What I must." The dragoness looked her over. "I must admit, I am glad to have such a healthy specimen. From your media that I saw while orbiting Earth, I was afraid most human females were waifs. But you have a good amount of muscle, and your blubber layer will be most beneficial to keeping your body from starving during the course of this research."
If Gemma's throat had been dry before, now it was a desert. She couldn't produce enough saliva to even swallow. She didn’t care that the dragoness had just called her fat in a roundabout way–she knew she had some extra weight on her, but it had never been a major concern other than when she despaired about her arms and ass. But what could the Stlozyn possibly want to do that would starve her?
"What are you going to do?" Gemma gasped out. Her voice was so hoarse she could hardly understand herself.
"What I must to ensure the survival of my people. Know that I take no pleasure in any of this. You seem to be a genuinely good person. I will try my best not to kill or irreparably damage you or the fetus you carry, but many lives outweigh one, or even two. Be comforted by knowing that if you die, your death will allow hundreds of children to be born."
Was she crazy? Gemma's eyes were wide as she tracked the dragoness' movements, as she walked around the bed the human was strapped to. "Shay is going to find me. He's going to find me, and you'll be sorry."
The dragoness laughed softly. "As emotionally as he has been acting, the Science Alpha did not get his position by putting his emotions before his research."
"Listen, you—"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he will mourn you and he may even need to be hospitalized for a time while he works through some anger," she said the word like it was a curse, "but he will come to realize the necessity of these actions."
Could it be true? No. No, Shay would never just forget about her. He loved her. He had told her that more than once. She knew it was true, she had seen the truth of his words when he said it, had seen how difficult it was for him to say it, but how much he wanted to.
"You're wrong. Shay isn't going to give up on me. He's going to find me."
"If that is a comfort to you." The dragoness pressed a button on the restraints holding Gemma in place. Instantly her head began to swim. She struggled to keep her mind clear, but it was impossible.
"Shay," she blurted.
"Try not to fight the sleep." The dragoness touched her shoulder. "I'm afraid this is going to be a very painful procedure."
***
Everything hurt. Gemma floated in a haze, unable to tell one second from the next. A drip was attached to her arm, filling her blood with poison. Her body shook, her stomach cramped and churned. More than once she heaved, but it had been a long time since she had given up everything her stomach had to offer. She slipped in and out of consciousness, unable to tell one scaly, red-eyed face from the next one. She didn’t know where she was or how much time had passed.
All she knew was she felt like she was being turned inside out, and her belly felt like it was expanding, growing. Some part of her mind knew it couldn't be growing, that it was going too fast, but another thought it meant that she had been in this hell for months.
"Why are you doing this?" she gasped out, but nobody would answer her.
Her head spun and everything went black. She dreamt of Shay, of the moment they had met. He had come to her law office to ask about a parking ticket he didn't think he deserved. She'd thought he was very attractive and found his accent nearly irresistible. They'd seen each other every day since then.
She’d thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with him.
"Shay," she gasped when she woke again.
Gemma took in a deep breath. She still hurt and her head was clouded, but she could think clearly for the first time in she didn’t know how long. The lights in her room were dimmed, and when she tried to sit up, she found herself still strapped down.
"Good, you're awake."
The voice made her head jerk, which sent blinding pain shooting down her neck. Gemma groaned in pain, almost collapsing back into unconsciousness.
Something cool pressed to her lips and drops of moisture trickled down her throat. Gemma lapped them down and her head focused again. She swallowed painfully and focused on the alien who was bent over her.
"Where's Shay?" He wouldn't let this happen to her. He'd stop them.
"So you remember him." The alien was female, at least Gemma thought it was. The same female as before? She had the same aqua scales. "Do you remember your name?"
"Gemma Watson."
"And where are you from?"
"Calgary, Alberta. E
arth."
The alien hummed, shining a light into her eyes. "Good. Some memory loss is to be expected, but you seem to still have your faculties about you."
Gemma twisted her head, glaring at the alien. She caught sight of her stomach and her eyes widened. Her heart stopped. She couldn't breathe. "How–How long have I been here?"
The alien followed her gaze. Gemma's stomach was distended to twice the size as it was before, with bruises covering her skin. The dragoness clucked her tongue.
"The fetus is alive. I was not authorized to remove it and use its tender DNA, but the samples collected as it grows will be most useful."
"How long have I been here?" Gemma thrashed against her restraints. "Where's Shay?"
Why hadn't he come for her already?
The dragoness shook her head. "Look at you, so afraid. You are serving a glorious purpose. Shay didn't understand that. He's too emotional. Too in love." She spat the word like it was poison. "Don't be so afraid. It's highly likely that both you and the fetus will survive the accelerated growth."
Gemma snarled under her breath. "Shay is going to find me. He will not let you do this!"
"Shay has no say in the matter."
The dragoness fiddled with some IVs that were dripping into Gemma's arm. Instantly the world began to swirl again. Gemma fought against the drugs but her mind slipped away from her. Her last thought was of Shay–he was coming for her. He had to be. He would save her.
A tear leaked from her eye… she had never told him she loved him…
Chapter Seven
Shay dropped into a crouch as he leaped from the small ship-to-planet transport vessel. As soon as he had arrived back in Bronæl space, he had broadcast what the Science Board had done to him and Gemma; he knew it would buy him time, that the people would demand that this blasphemy end. It had at least prevented his ship from being blown to bits as he neared the planet.
